Summer’s 6 Coolest New Theme Park Rides

Happy days are here again in the theme park industry, as
business is booming after a long recession. More than 300 million
people will visit U.S. theme parks this summer, according to the
International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions
(IAAPA), and revenue for the parks should hit a record-breaking
$13.4 billion, according to market researcher IBISWorld.

Families may feel a bigger pinch this summer when paying
hiked-up admissions at some parks (such as Disneyland and Disney
World, which now charge $92 and $95, respectively, for a single day
adult ticket). But the upside is that parks all over the nation are
also ratcheting up their ride offerings, offering more twists,
heights and technological dazzlers, from a wooden roller coaster
with steel-coaster-style loops to a whizzing swing ride that allows
you to see two city skylines (assuming you keep your eyes
open).

Here are the six rides we’re most excited to try—including a few
that cater nicely to kids who haven’t yet met the big coasters’
height requirements as well as their Dramamine-chewing parents.

Full Throttle

Hold onto your churro: This new coaster at Six
Flags Magic Mountain, which goes up to 70 mph, has a 160-foot
loop that you’ll travel twice: first inside and then outside the
loop, before capping it off with a backward launch. Six Flag is
marketing it as “Sensory Overload.” Height
requirement: 54 inches. Opens June
22.

The Gatekeeper

As the name suggests, the big new ride at Cedar
Point in Sandusky meets you right at the entrance gates. Among
winged coasters—where riders are perched on either side of the
track—this one boasts of being the tallest, fastest and longest, as
well as claiming the tallest inversion (a 170-foot loop) of any
coaster in the world. Height requirement: 52
inches

Wooden coasters may seem a little retro, but this vintage-style
ride at Mount
Olympus in Wisconsin Dells recently got a 21st-century update:
a new barrel roll, making it the first all-wooden coaster that goes
upside down. It also features an 800-foot tunnel with a 90-degree
underground turn in total darkness. Height
requirement: 48 inches

Texas SkyScreamer

Six
Flags over Texas is flying noticeably higher this summer. At
400 feet high, the Texas SkyScreamer is now the tallest swing ride
in the world, and promises to send you flying in a 124-foot-wide
circle at 35 mph. Ride it at night and you’ll get city-lights views
of both downtown Dallas (to the east) and Fort Worth (to the west).
Height requirement: 48 inches

Transformers: The Ride 3-D

Universal
Studios Florida has a new thrill for folks who like rides that
only seem to leave the ground: This 3-D motion simulator
ride offers faux smash-’em-up fun as the Autobots battle the
Decepticons, who are reportedly intent on taking over Orlando.
Height requirement: 40 inches. Opens June
20.

Blazin’ Buckaroo

For little kids who can't ride the big coasters yet (and for
parents who quietly prefer the kiddie rides), we're always thrilled
(and, okay, a little relieved) to see a new mini coaster: This new
360-foot steel coaster in Denver’i
s Elitch Gardens goes no faster than 15 mph, but promises a
just-exciting-enough first drop. Height
requirement: 36 inches